Improvement in hair-turning hatchels



LOUISE WELBUR. 7

Hair-Turn ing Hetchels.

'entedMay14,1872.

g1 Jeri/on on UNITED STATES;

LOUISE VVILBUR, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAIR-TURNING HATCHE LS Specification forming alof Letters Patent No. 126,661, dated 'May 14, 1872.

Nature and Object of the Invention.

The first part of my invention relates to an arrangement of a row of round teeth in a suitable frame, pointed, and separate at the top,

but'touching each other toward the bottom in such a manner that in passing the ends of combed hair through them the largest or root end of the hair will lodge between the teeth,

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the turning-hatch- Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 0 D, Fig. 1'. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same on the line AB, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the turning-hatchel.

) Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of one of the teeth.

General Description.

The cast-iron frame a is furnished with a clamp or follower, c, which is moved forward by the screws (1 through the side of the frame. I) I) are facings of brass, attached to the follower and side of the frame. f are the teeth, held in place between the brass facings, first, by the wire h, Fig. 2, passing through them near the bottom, and, second, by the clamp c, and also by the end clamp g, which is moved forward by the screw e and holds the teeth firmly together in the row. The teeth above the frame are made round and pointed at the top, tapering gradually from the middle upward, thereby leaving a space between them at the top, which grows gradually smaller to where they touch.. The bottom of the tooth is made square, with a hole through ,it to receive the wire 71, Fig. 2, which is for the purpose of retoining the teeth in place, and to prevent their falling out when the clamps are loosened to admit of cleaning the teeth. The

clamp c has a projection, which catches under a corresponding one in the frame, as is seen at c in Fig. 2, where a few of the teeth are omitted to show the manner of securing the clamp. The end clamp g is secured in a similar'manner. An iron plate, i, is screwed to the bottom of the frame to give it strength, and to prevent the clamps from falling out at the bottom, and to give a base for the teeth.

This machine is useful in arranging, for Weaving into switches, &c., such hair as has been gathered by saving thetangled masses combed from the head. The tangled hair is first straightened by drawing it through an ordinary hatchel, consisting of a number of rows of upright teeth placed ata small distance apart, being quite similar to the hatchel used for straightening flax. This lays the hair parallel, and removes such as is too knotted to become straightened, but leaves the root ends of the hair in both directions; such being known in the market as combed hair. If when in this shape it is woven into switches or other work, the hair which has its root outward soon works loose and comes out on account of its being larger toward the root and smaller toward'the point of the hair, and also on account of the barbs on the hair, which always turn toward the point.

The object of this machine is to arrange the hair, after having been straightened by the ordinary hatchel, so as to have its root ends all one way, and is accomplished as follows: A bundle of the combed hair is held in the hand and drawn through the teeth of the turninghatchel, which teeth, being pointed at the top and touching together toward the bottom, re tain and draw out of the bundle all of the hair which presents its barbs to the teeth or has its enlarged root end toward this end of the bundle. By repetition of this process the hair is all arranged with its root ends in one direction.

In place of the teeth which are described and shown in the drawing, ordinary No. 1 nee dles may be used, such as are seen in the accompanying model, the shape of the point and body being precisely similar, and the eye of PATENT Drrron.

the needle answering for the hole through the shank of the tooth; but they are attended with greater difficulty of setting up after cleaning 850., on account of the shank being round.

' Claims.

I claim as my invention 1. The process of selecting the root ends from combed hair by drawing it through a row of pointed teeth, arranged substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. A hair-turning hatohel, provided with comb-teeth arranged in contact with each other at or near their bases, so that there may be wedge-shaped spaces between them, substan tially as and for the purposes shown and set forth.

3. In combination with the teeth f, 0011- struoted and arranged substantially as de scribed, the clamps c and g for confining said teeth under the arrangement shown and set forth. v

Madame LOUISE WILBUR. Witnesses:

MILTON YOUNG, THOMAS CAREY. 

